Hi,

Have you talked to your family to see what information they have on your Grandfather.
You did not mention what date your Grandfather was born or where he lived, etc.
Familysearch is a good place to do research, but it all depends on the years that
you are looking for.
Best wishes in your search.

from Jackie

New Zealand, Birth Index, 1840-1950
NAME: Hector Brown Blackbee
BIRTH DATE: Apr-May-Jun 1884
REGISTRATION PLACE: Pelorus, New Zealand
FOLIO NUMBER: 1578

New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1934
NAME: Hector Brown Blackbee
GENDER: Male
MARRIAGE YEAR: 1915
RELATION: Bridegroom
SPOUSE: Ivy Eveline Eden
FOLIO NUMBER: 3918

New Zealand, Death Index, 1848-1964
NAME: Hector Brown Blackbee
DEATH DATE: Jul-Aug-Sep 1930
REGISTRATION PLACE: Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand
FOLIO NUMBER: 2692


According to his birth reg Hector was born on 7 may 1884. He was the illegitimate child of Clara Blackbee, age 25yrs , birthplace looks like Araioa Canterbury

You need to find his mother Clara Blackbee / Blackbie born about 1859 in the Canterbury area

looks like Clara married after Hector's birth. I live in the UK so do not know what details would be on the marriage cert. In the Uk it lists the father's name which would be useful

New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1934
Clara Blackbee
GENDER: Female
MARRIAGE YEAR: 1891
RELATION: Bride
SPOUSE: Charles Mercer
FOLIO NUMBER: 2291

In 1866 there is a C Blackbee, occ carpenter listed in Akaroa which might be a lead.

I found this:

1863/15756 Blackbee Clara Sarah (m) Charles (f)

Link :
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2fqueryEntry.m%3ftype%3dbirths#SearchResults

You can get the birth cert. I think this is the correct Clara but am not sure so down to you to decide what to do

Marriage 1860/3493 Sarah Ann Harrington Charles Blackbee

Link:
www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2fqueryEntry.m%3ftype%3dmarriages#SearchResults

London, England, Selected Poor Law Removal and Settlement Records, 1828-1930
NAME: Charles Blackbee
AGE: 19
BIRTH YEAR: abt 1832
RECORD TYPE: Settlement Papers
EVENT DATE: 29 Jan 1851
POOR LAW UNION OR PARISH: Hackney
RESIDENCE: Hackney
REFERENCE NUMBER: HABG/195/002

According to the settlement papers Charles (father) age 44 of 11 Victoria Shut Homerton London and his Wife Sarah Age 46 plus 4 children, Charles 19, Susan 17, Eliza 14 and Sarah 8 applied for resettlement in the Canterbury Settlement, New Zealand. Ordered £14 for the purpose

1841 Census
Charles Blackber [Charles Blackbee]
AGE: 9
ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1832
GENDER: Male
WHERE BORN: Middlesex, England
CIVIL PARISH: St John Hackney
HUNDRED: Ossulstone (Tower Division)
COUNTY/ISLAND: Middlesex
COUNTRY: England
STREET ADDRESS: Bridge Street
OCCUPATION: labourer

Charles Blackber 30
Sarah Blackber 40
Matilda Blackber 14
Charles Blackber 9
Susan Blackber 6
Eliza Blackber 4
George Blackber 1

This might be Charles's (Abt 1800) Baptism

Charles Blackbee
BAPTISM DATE: 15 Dec 1805
PARISH: All Saints, Edmonton
COUNTY: Middlesex
BOROUGH: Enfield
PARENT(S): John Blackbee,
Sarah Blackbee
RECORD TYPE: Baptism
REGISTER TYPE: Parish Register

Cosh I am overwhelmed with the response thank you so very much, this is a great start the family know nothing of the Grandparents or Aunties etc. Mother spoke very little of her family, her Father died when she was 12 and she was left to raise there other children 3 plus there was talk of her mother taking on twins that story needs verifying somehow i gather they were very poor.
The other members of the family also don't have any interest there are 14 of us there has been alot of work done on the Family Name Hodson but i think both sides equally important so i shall now get some Birth/Death/Marriage/baptism papers once again a huge thank-you.

In response to summerbreeze14.

I am a grandson of Clara Blackbee. she lived with her family at Akaroa NZ. Her father was Charles Blackbee who was the son of his namesake who came to NZ on the Labuan in 1851.Charles II married Sarah Ann Harrington in 1860. Their family was; Flora b. 1861
Clara,b.1863, who had three children out of wedlock;Flora Adams Blackbee, b.1882, Hector Brown Blackbee, b. 1884, and Elsie Blackbee, b.1888. Flora sied at 4 months and Elsie at 19 months.
Clara married Charles Mercer in 1891 and went on to produce six more children; Mabel, Gladys, Cyril, Basil, and Essie (Esme?). Basil was killed at Gallipoli. This information came from; http://www.familytreecircles.com/charles-blackbee-41562.html. There was a notable omission in the record, being no mention of her youngest Daughter Essie.Clara died as a result of complications arising from child birth. I suspect this was a result of the birth of Essie. date unknown. Possibly 1998-1901

i trust this will help in your search.

Peter Grove, Son of Gladys Mercer.

Thank you Peter much appreciated, Clara was our Great Grandmother on mums side i am looking forward to getting in and finding out as much as i can but the rebuild from the CHCH NZ Quakes are still unsettling our lives and i am only able to do a little bit of investigating at a time once again many thanks

Kind Regards
Dawn Hodson

Esme "Essie" was born about Oct 1900 and died 25 Oct 1900. She is buried in Karori Cemetery, Wellington. Clara almost certainly died for reasons to do with childbirth. Elsie Blackbee is buried in Wakapawaka Cemetery, Nelson. Hector Brown Blackbee is buried in Richmond Cemetery, Nelson.